Thad Matta, Ohio State Head CoachOn Ohio State's defense“We didn’t play perfectly but we kept playing and pursuing the ball. In the first half, we made some mistakes but we corrected them.”

On bouncing back from the loss at Wisconsin “After a win like this I told my players we cannot relax. We have to continue to practice hard and find better ways to win and get better.”

On showing team a video of Ray Lewis“It was a unique video to show the team and some of the messages he had.”

On the OSU defense tonight compared to the Wisconsin game“We had energy and juice tonight. Our players were covering for each and other players were seeing and reading what was going on. We executed well in positioning.”

On the play of Amedeo Della Valle“Amedeo has really played well these last couple of weeks. I appreciate his game and the passion he has for the team.”

Deshaun Thomas, junior forwardOn how the Buckeyes played in tonight’s game.“I felt that we played really well. Great defense all the way around and that’s what Ohio State basketball is all about.”

On the Buckeyes’ second half run“That run was really good for this team and we needed something like that tonight. It was great.”

Shannon Scott, sophomore guardOn what worked on the floor tonight.“We wanted to make things right after the Wisconsin game. I felt like the guys just brought a lot of energy for this game tonight.”

On the upcoming Michigan State game.“We just need to treat that game like any other. We shouldn’t think of it as any different from the game we just played. We just need to stay focused as a team.”

On winning big“Honestly, we just wanted a win to get things back on track for the team. The extra points were great though for our confidence.”

Tubby Smith, Minnesota head coachOn Ohio State’s 16-0 run in the second half“When things are not going well and you’re making some bad mistakes, it’s like a storm that starts to build on you. Ohio State was feeling pretty comfortable and making shots, and we had something like five or six turnovers in that stretch. Even when we got a good look or had the opportunity to score, we did something else with it.”

On Minnesota’s offensive struggles“I thought coming out we’d be ready to play, but once again we scored less points in the second half than we scored in the first half. We need to start putting points on the board.”

On Minnesota’s leadership“We’re looking for the leadership within the team to step up. We have five seniors on the team. It’s not like we’re young or inexperienced, but it seems like we’re all playing that way.”